31 August 2009

I looked through my freezer this weekend and I found some neglected ice cream. Gasp! I know, I have no excuse for ignoring this heavenly dessert, but if sweets like lemon meringue pie, strawberry shortcake and banana pudding find their way to your fridge, you would forgive me if I allowed the ice cream to "chill" for a while.

So this week on my blog, I'm serving up some icy treats that turn plain ice cream from blah to Tada!

Ice cream + cookies

Tada! Ice cream sandwich!

It's an easy snack that both adults & kids will love.See you tomorrow for another icy cold idea!

28 August 2009

One lovely reader recently asked for help to transform her blah business card holder into a Tada!. And that's how the blah to Tada! challenge was born. If you need some Tada! solutions using everyday blah items, send me an e-mail and I'll try my best to help you out.

Maybe you also need help organizing your thick wad of business cards that you've collected recently? Here's a crafty idea:

Step 1: Measure the cardboard to the size of a standard business card and add a half-inch allowance to its height (portrait orientation).

Step 2: Cut the cardboard. Once cut, you must have a total of 26 cards corresponding to each letter of the alphabet.

Step 3: Punch a hole on the upper left side of each piece of cardboard.

Now the fun part!

Step 4: Decorate each piece of cardboard. I opted for a "summer" look using bathing suits cut out from a J. Crew catalogue. You can choose whatever theme you fancy -- shoes, bags, flowers, food, cartoon characters...

Step 5: Print out letters from the computer & stick one letter on each piece of cardboard.

Step 6: Take out your business cards and punch each at the top left corner (make sure not to punch out important details like phone numbers & e-mail addresses). Rotate thebusiness card if necessary.

27 August 2009

Well hello there! This week, I'm on my first ever blah to Tada! challenge. Marti sent me an e-mail requesting for ideas on how to better organize her business cards. It had to be easy and must be made of recycled goodies. I hope I haven't failed her so far!

Here's a new idea that makes use of old jelly jars & salsa bottles.

Sleek business card holders in three simple steps:

Step 1: Scrub the jars so they're squeaky clean & don't smell of food. Dry them well.Step 2: Label the bottles in alphabetical fashion: A to E, F to J, etc. or create categories based on the business cards you have: new acquaintances, business partners, favorite restaurants, etc.Step 3: Add in your business cards and display the bottles on your desk or office shelf.

26 August 2009

We're thinking of easy, eco-friendly solutions to organize business cards, and I've got another idea for you:

Not quite a blah because of the pretty print,but if astationery box is all out of cards & envelopes, all that's left is a plain & empty box.

Unless you re-use it of course!

I put some dividers in the box (using cardboard covered with floral-print paper) that stay standing with the help of hot glue on the bottom & sides of the cardboard.

I labeled the dividers using my handwriting on pink paper. The groupings are based on the similarities of the business cards I have: old friends, new friends, food & drink, crafters (I frequent craft fairs!), medical & legal, and etc. for those cards that don't quite fit into a category.

If you're planning a wedding, you can have caterers, printers, musicians, photographers and guests as your categories. If you're looking for a job, I suggest these labels: headhunters, references, dream job and send thank yous to.

24 August 2009

This week, I've geared up for my very first blah to Tada! challenge. Marti e-mailed me a couple of weeks ago to ask for some help:"Hi! I was curious if you have any thoughts on creating a business card holder from recycled products. I am currently using an old loose leaf note paper box that is falling apart."

Marti even sent a photo:

I must agree, it's looking quite blah so I have some suggestions that I hope Marti will like. Thankfully this challenge came along, because I realized that my own collection of business cards needs a home, too!

Here's my first suggestion:

Blah: Plastic tubs that once contained strawberries,walnuts and grape tomatoes.

Tada!: An instant business card holder!

I did not spend anything, absolutely nothing, for this.

The dividers are old cardboard boxes (ex. cereal), measured to the size of a business card plus a half-inch added to the height. After cutting the cards, I covered these with colorful pages from a magazine and then glued on the letters (printed out from my home printer; calligraphy will also work). I also decorated the cover of the plastic box with a fun print I got from a school catalogue and a label "Business Cards" that I printed myself.

Here's a version using the box thatonce held grape tomatoes.

Just add your business cards in the corresponding slots!

If you have a growing collection, you can have several of these small boxes organized to your liking. For example, Box #1: letters A to M and Box #2: letters N to Z. You can also categorize by year or by "personal" and "business" contacts. You can easily stack these boxes on top of each other.

Or you can use a bigger box like this onethat once cradled strawberries.

Easy business card organization, right?Please come back tomorrow for another idea!

21 August 2009

Hip-hip-hooray, it's Friday!This week on my blog, I suggested some ideas on how to take drinking water to the next level. Just by adding some fresh summer fruit, we can easily turn an everyday beverage from blah to Tada!.

A cold drink will always be appreciated on a sweltering day but something hot ain't bad at all. I'm not talking about coffee. I'm talking about mint tea! Moroccan Mint Tea to be exact.

The whole Moroccan tea ceremony is a spectacle! Tea is served in a beautiful silver teapot and small tea glasses with intricate, colorful designs.The tea is poured high (this aerates the tea for better flavor) and sugar is added to the tea -- a sweet and soothing drink that warms the belly. This is Morocco's national drink and this will be served to you inside a home, a restaurant and at the souks.

Moroccan Mint Tea served withalmond macaroonsas a snack or at the end of a meal.

Here's an easy way to prepare mint tea right in your kitchen (recipe from The Food of Morocco cookbook):

Rinse a 1 litre (36 fl oz/4 cup) teapot with boiling water, add the tea and a little boiling water, swirl briefly, let it settle, then carefully pour out the water to remove any tea dust. Half-fill pot with boiling water. Take a handful of the spearmint sprigs, crush lightly in the hand and add to the pot. Add more crushed mint sprigs until the pot is three-quarters full. Add the sugar and fill the pot with boiling water. Let the tea brew for three minutes.

Pour out a glass of tea and pour back into the pot. Repeat, twice more to mix the tea and to dissolve the sugar. Serve the tea in tea glasses, pouring it from a height to aerate the tea. Add a mint sprig (not crushed) to each glass.

19 August 2009

We're adding some boost to everyday drinking waterhere at blah to Tada!.

After all, a little variety makes drinking more fun & less of a chore.

Today, we're making Aguas Frescas. The literal translation: "fresh or cool waters". Refreshing they are indeed!I learned about them from this websiteand first tried them at Mijita Cocina Mexicana at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco. "Wow!" is all I can say and made a mental note to try making these at home.

This drink of Mexican origin makes use of fresh fruits. My pick -- these mighty-cool cantaloupes:

I simply cube up some cantaloupe flesh (about 2 cups) and add them to a blender. I place the scooped-out seeds in a strainer, put this on top of the blender pitcher and with a spoon, "squeeze" out the juice (producing about 1 tablespoon...we don't want to waste anything, right?).I then add 2 cups of water and blend away! You may add some sugar (before blending) if the fruit isn't that sweet.

Tada! My version of aguas frescas (agua de melon).

You may strain the liquid as you pour it into a pitcher or tall glass barrel-shaped punch bowls (as they are traditionally served). That way, the liquid will be lighter and clearer. I happen to like the pulp so I skipped this step.